


Dish It And Take It

by MyShamefulLove



Category: Gordon Ramsay - Fandom
Genre: AU: Single!Ramsay, F/M, Kitchen Nightmares Style scenario and beyond, No romance in the first 2 chapters, Slow Build, fluffle puff - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-13 09:38:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9118096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyShamefulLove/pseuds/MyShamefulLove
Summary: Gordon is trying to save a restaurant where the reader is a waitress. Will she impress him, or fall as flat as a badly-cooked souffle?





	1. Fired

**Author's Note:**

> **Rated Teen for language**

"It's fucking disgusting! This is completely unacceptable, and I will not allow you to lie to your customers any longer," the Brit's angered voice easily carried through the walls of the restaurant he was attempting to resurrect, and right into the dining room where the customers were now intently listening. Only moments later, Chef Ramsay walked in to the center of the dining room and he cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentleman, could I get your attention? I'm sorry, but there's something I think you all need to see. And I apologize, but I will not allow any more food to be served tonight. You'll see why if you'll all follow me for a moment. Oh, and Andrea? (Y/n)? You are to stop serving food until I say otherwise."

Andrea looked too stunned for words, so I quickly responded with a "Yes, Chef."

Gordon gave me a nod, said "Thank you, darling," then had all the customers follow him out back. Andrea and I went, as well, out of curiosity about what he'd uncovered. Chef Ramsay led us all out to a small alley behind the restaurant where we all gathered around in a group. He looked more serious than I'd seen him since he'd arrived at our restaurant, but that was to be expected. We had asked him to come fix our failing restaurant, so it was only a matter of time before he found something seriously wrong with the place. Ramsay turned to face us all after opening a large, dingy, white box that resembled a portable cooler.

"Ladies and gentleman, in a beachfront restaurant like this, you would expect fresh seafood, would you not?" He asked and all of us nodded our heads. "Well, you've all been lied to, including our two lovely servers here. Inside this ten year old cooler is the shit the owner of the restaurant claims is fresh fish."

He threw open the cooler and pulled out rotting, half-frozen lumps that only just had the vague outline of fish filets. I felt my stomach lurch and several of the patrons let out horrified gasps and sounds of disgust. He pulled out half-thawed bags of popcorn shrimp and fish sticks.

"I will not allow you, the customers to be lied to and treated in such a fashion. Until I can get this place fixed, we're shutting down," he said tossing the rancid fish away. "None of you are paying for your meals this evening, and please don't blame your servers. They were unaware of the absolutely deplorable state of the kitchens and the food. I take full responsibility for this, as the owner is not. I apologize, ladies and gentleman. I do have to ask you all to leave. Sorry for the inconvenience."

I looked at Andrea horrified and she was staring stunned at the state of the outdoor piece of shit that was being used as a freezer. She looked frozen herself, and I put my hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, look at me. Look at me. This wasn't our fault. We didn't know what they were doing. Now, we need to get it together, and help the customers get their stuff together so they can get home. We need to apologize to the customers and make sure they see that we are sorry for what happened. Otherwise we lose clientele - the last of our clientele - and we go under for good," I said giving her a pep talk. Chef Ramsay saw me speaking with her and he started walking over. "Go, I'll be inside in a second."

Andrea did as I said and I intercepted Gordon as he walked toward me.

"Is everything alright, darling? I know this must have been a shock," he said looking concerned.

"I'm fine, Chef. My coworker was just a bit in shock, but I spoke to her. She should be alright for now," I said and he nodded approvingly.

"Thank you, my darling. Now let's go take care of the customers, yes?" He said and I nodded my head as we walked back inside together. A few awkward moments later, the restaurant was cleared out, and all that was left was the staff, the owner, and Chef Ramsay. He was looking somber, and I couldn't help but feel as though our bad practices and general poor management of the restaurant had made him lose all faith in us as a team. Before in the alley, he had been so concerned for our well-being, but now it seemed as though he was about to tear us all to shreds. "I have never, in all my life, seen such a disgusting excuse for a restaurant. You call yourselves responsible, yet the only two people here who I have seen consistently doing their jobs to the fullest of their abilities are your two waitresses. The kitchen staff: sloppy, inefficient, and seemingly unable to focus on the fucking food in front of you. The busboys: disorganized, inept, and completely fucking clueless. The hostess: rude, unprofessional, and a fucking drunk, even on the job. The owner: detached, unqualified, and frankly doesn't give a single fuck about whether this place succeeds of fails. This is one of the worst shitholes I've ever been in, and bloody hell, I am so fucking close to just giving up and going home."

The owner looked at Ramsay with a mixture of fear and anger. "Why should I listen to a damn thing you have to say?"

And that was where I snapped.

"Because he's trying to help you, you pompous fuck," I exclaimed before Ramsay could even open his mouth. "Stop being such a stubborn ass, listen to the criticism Chef Ramsay is giving you, and fix the fucking problems. Don't just sit there and try to avoid the issue, or you'll be going out of business by the end of the week."

The entire staff looked at me wide-eyed. I was normally so quiet when I wasn't waiting on customers. I never talked back or questioned the owner's decisions, but tonight I was over my limit.

"You either deal with the fucking problems and change the way this place is run, or Andrea and I will find other jobs. You always treat the others like slacking off is their job, but you shout at Andrea and I all the time for things that we haven't even fucked up. I'm tired of this job, and I'm tired of you. Now, man up, or we're done," I said taking off my apron and hanging it onto the hook on the wall where I always put it after work. I took one of the open seats, and Chef Ramsay was looking at me with something akin to pride. He had told me when he first arrived that I need to be more assertive. I suppose it took an asshole hellbent on running our restaurant out of business for me to find my voice.

Ramsay looked at the owner. "Well, Michael? Can you change? Can you listen to my advice and fix this mess?"

There was a moment of tension where everyone assembled was staring at our boss.

"You can all just go to hell," he snarled and my heart sank. Then he turned to me and Andrea. "And you two bitches can get the fuck out of my restaurant for good! You want other jobs? Fucking great! Get the fuck out and never come back!"

I stood and helped an ashen Andrea to her feet. I walked over to Chef Ramsay and held out my hand. "Thank you, Chef Ramsay, for your time and all of your help. I'm only sorry that our ex-boss is such an ass. Thank you for the opportunity. I'm sorry Mike squandered it."

Ramsay took my hand and shook it. "It was a pleasure, darling. Thank you for being so honest with myself and with your boss. He may be a stubborn ass, but some of the things you've said today may yet change his mind."

He handed me a slip of paper and gave me a smile. "Let me know if you ever need anything. I'd be honored to help in any way that I can."

"Thank you, Chef," I said with a smile.

"Call me Gordon, darling. No need for the title. Take care of yourself," he said and Andrea and I walked out to our cars.


	2. Surprise

The next morning, I was forced awake by the shrill ringing of my cell phone directly beside my ear. I fumbled around to get untangled from the sheets and I hurriedly stabbed at the answer button. My voice was more of a sleepy, slurring croak than anything, but I hoped whoever it was, would recognize it as still my voice. "H'llo?"

"Hallo? Is this (Y/n)?" A smooth, deep voice intoned in a British accent. To my sleep drunk brain, I knew it was a familiar person, but I couldn't center my thoughts on an identity.

"Yes, this is she," I said after quickly and quietly swallowing a sip of water. What the hell time was it, anyway?

"(Y/n), it's Gordon. I'm glad I reached you, darling. I apologize for the early hour, but I think we've made some progress with Mike. I'm afraid I need to ask you to come back to the restaurant in two hours, if that's convenient," he said and my brain slowly stopped spinning. I glanced at the clock and saw it was three in the morning. Internally, I sighed.

"I'll be there, but may I ask you a couple of questions, Chef?" I asked groggily.

"Gordon, darling, and of course you may," he said and I could practically hear the smile in his voice. Why did that make me so happy?

"Sorry. Gordon. First, may I ask how you got this number? I know you gave me yours, but I don't think I ever gave you mine. Second, I'm sorry if I'm being dense, but how is my coming back up to the restaurant where I was fired going to do any good?" I asked sitting up finally and feeling the cold air prickling at my skin even through my pajamas. I heard a chuckle through the receiver.

"I got your number from the employee records, courtesy of Mike. You're not being dense at all, my darling. I managed to work something out, and it requires that you come in for a few minutes. Oh, I nearly forgot. Is it true that you trained at Le Cordon Bleu for a time as a chef?" He asked, and even though he wasn't there, I felt myself blushing. Oh God, did he want me to be a chef?

"I...Yes, it is true. I'm sure Mike told you that as well," I said silently praying for my soul.

"Actually, I got that little tidbit from Andrea. She was drinking earlier and she ended up calling me when she meant to call you," he said and I sighed.

"Damn. I'm sorry that she bothered you, Che-Gordon. Alright, I'll be at the restaurant in two hours, then," I said giving in to the cursed feeling of wakefulness.

"Thank you, darling. I promise you won't regret it. This is going to be a good day for you, seriously. I'll see you in a bit. Bye, darling," he said and he ended the call. I sighed and tossed my feet out of bed. A small meow echoed from the other side of my nearly empty apartment.

"Just a second, Kesh. I'll get your food and water," I said stumbling over to my calico cat's bowl and pouring out enough dry food to last her the day. Hopefully, she'd nibble it through the day instead of gobbling it all at once. I was running low on cash again, so the slower I ran out of cat food, the better. I cleaned her water bowl and gave her some fresh, setting the bowl down and watching as she looked up at me as if to say 'thank you, human' before going to her bowl. I smiled as the floof ate her food, and I went to get showered and dressed. I did my makeup and hair, then headed out the door an hour and a half later.

I parked my car in the nearly empty parking lot of the restaurant, and I recognized Gordon's car and Mike's. _Great,_ I thought. I'd been hoping that Mike would have at least gone home. No such luck, so I got out of my car and went to the door of the restaurant. Before I could reach out and take the handle, it opened and there stood Chef Ramsay.

"Right on time, darling. Come inside," he said stepping aside to let me in. His bright, blue eyes never left me, and I thanked him as I stepped inside.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Mike asked angrily from one of the tables in the dining room. "I fired you, and I want you off my property. Now."

"Oh, shut up!" Gordon commanded him, and Mike spluttered a moment before falling silent at a hard gaze from Chef Ramsay. I sat where I was directed, and looked down at my fingers in my lap, not really knowing what to do. "Now, I have asked this lady here to hear a new part to the plan that I already started telling you this morning. You will be respectful to her, and if you mouth off to either of us in any way, I swear to fuck I'm out of here. I'll leave. Yeah? Am I getting through to you finally?"

Mike's jaw clenched, but he nodded his head. Gordon gave a small nod of his own, and he turned to me.

"Alright, (y/n), darling, I know you're probably pretty upset with him, at the moment, but I think I have a solution to suit the both of you. Are you willing to hear it?" He asked and I said a quiet 'Yes, Chef.' "Wonderful. Now, if you were given a proper salary on a payroll system, if you received the respect you deserve, and if you were given a position where you could make a difference in this restaurant, would you consider coming back to work here?"

I looked between Mike and Chef Ramsay. "I would weigh my options, but yes. I would consider it. It's hard to find jobs these days, and staying here would mean that I'd be able to keep the water turned on in my apartment and feed my cat. It might even be enough to catch up on my utility payments. But it all depends on Mike."

"Mike, (y/n) has trained at Le Cordon Bleu. She is a certified chef, was first in her class, and she was offered a teaching position at the same institution," Gordon said, and I wondered how he'd found all that out. I'd never told Andrea the details of my time in training. "Your current head chef is lackadaisical, untrained, and completely inept. He can't even cook a burger correctly. Around eleven in the evening, I managed to get the number of one of her old teachers. Yeah? And I made sure (y/n) had the skills to do what I'm proposing. I recommended you fire your current head chef. I now recommend that as you do that, you hire (y/n) as the new head chef in your kitchen. That way, you have somebody who is trained, experienced, and who knows the layout of the kitchen. You've worked together for a long while - albeit not perfectly - but you do know how to handle each other. this is a win-win situation. (Y/n), you'll have a well-paying job, and Mike, you won't have to look for a new chef in the busiest season of the year."

Mike looked like he was thinking it over, and eventually his business side won out. "I'm willing to give it a week. After that, if you're not up to snuff, you're out on your ass. Got it?"

"I understand. You won't be disappointed, Mike," I said wondering if I was really making the best decision. I held out my hand for Mike to shake, but he just gave me a short nod of his head. I sighed but tried to remain positive despite the snub as I lowered my hand.

"Mike? Do you remember what I said a few moments ago? Treat the lady with respect, please. She offered you her hand as a goodwill gesture. I believe an apology is in order," Gordon said, and Mike looked more contrite.

"I apologize. That was very rude of me."

"Apology accepted," I said trying to diffuse any sort of tension with a smile. Gordon stood and offered me his hand.

"I'd like to show you the kitchen now, if I may. My team and I have made a few changes," he said and I took his hand as I stood. "Oh, and Mike? As you've already seen this, why don't you go talk with your wife about the changes? I can show (y/n) around easily enough."

Without waiting for an answer, Chef Ramsay walked with me back to the kitchen. I expected to see only the mildly cleaned version of the kitchen from the day before, but I was in for a shock. Everything in the kitchen now sparkled in the light. There was a new four top stove and all new silverware and pans. I was completely floored.

"Look at all the stainless steel! Gordon, it's beautiful!" I said feeling happy tears come to my eyes as I looked around and saw all the bits of the kitchen that had been changed. I looked over to see the famous chef standing by one of the prep stations smiling from ear to ear. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much of a huge difference this is going to make."

"You're welcome, darling. It was all worth it to see you so happy," he said and I was stunned. Me? What did I have to do with any of this? I shook that thought from my mind as Gordon walked over to me. "It's a big responsibility to be a head chef. Do you think you can handle it?"

"Yes, Chef. As part of my time at Le Cordon Bleu, I was trained in every aspect of working in a restaurant's kitchen, including in the position of head chef. I believe I have what it takes," I said with a smile.

"Good, because I believe you have what it takes, too. I only have one question," he said sounding very serious. "Can you cook a burger?"

I was taken aback until his lips split in a large smile, and I giggled a bit. "Yes, of course I can, Chef."

"Excellent, my darling. Would you like to help me test cook the meals from the new menu?" Gordon asked, and I felt myself smiling wider than I ever had. Gordon Ramsay was asking me to cook with him. Was this a dream?

"I would be honored, Chef," I said and he picked up his chef's jacket. He put it on and brought over an extra. Gordon helped me put it on, as it was a bit large, and as I buttoned up the front he stood before me.

"Oh, and one more thing: the cameras are gone, the other staff is gone, and I don't bite. Darling, if you're not uncomfortable with it, its perfectly acceptable to call me Gordon," he said with a gentle smile.

"Forgive me. It's a very ingrained habit to call people who are higher in rank than me in the kitchen by their title. Given that you're a world-renowned chef, it's a bit more difficult to drop the title. I am trying, though, Gordon," I said with an embarrassed blush.

"I'm not chastising, darling. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't making you feel uncomfortable by sounding too forward," he said stepping forward. "Besides, I very much like the way it sounds when you in particular say my name."

The last bit caught me off guard, but before I could remark on it, Gordon switched into gear. "Now, darling, let's get cooking."


	3. Menu Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter I will be posting before school starts. I will continue to post as the semester continues, but I may not be able to be as consistent as I have been. I apologize for any inconvenience, and I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! Thank you for reading, darlings! :D

Gordon brought the staff into the dining room later to see the new menu, and they all gasped at how beautiful it all looked. The dining area of the restaurant itself had been remodeled, and the food we'd made was definitely up to Chef Ramsay's standards. It looked like something he'd serve in his own restaurants, and that was what made me feel as though maybe this new position would be a good one for me.

"Why don't you all dig in? Test out your menu so you'll be able to better serve your customers," he said with a smile and he and I stood by the side as the rest of the staff tried the food. I'd never seen them all so happy and congenial with each other, and their smiles were contagious. Gordon cleared his throat beside me and I looked up at him. "Forgive me, but you have a lovely smile. I've not seen you so happy since I arrived here."

I felt myself blush at his words, and I cleared my own throat. "Thank you. It's all because of you, you know. I know we haven't had our relaunch night, but you've made such a huge difference here already."

"There's no need to thank me, darling. You guys have all done some soul searching and worked through a lot of the problems without my help. But don't celebrate yet. There's still the matter of the relaunch. I'm glad what we've done so far has made you happy," he said with a smile. I lost myself for a moment and felt proud of the fact that he was at least smiling for now.

\---

Hours later, we were all throwing our everything into the relaunch, waiting tables as quickly as we could and cooking our hearts out. We'd never had such a good night, and there hadn't been a single complaint from the customers. Then, Gordon's voice rang through the kitchen.

"This is the last ticket of the night, everybody. Stay focused and keep the quality high!" He shouted, and I encouraged the other chefs, talking the order through and delegating tasks to everyone so we could get the food out in a reasonable amount of time. Before we knew it, the food was going out with the server, and we were all giving each other high fives, hoping the food wouldn't come back with a complaint. We'd done our level best, and even Chef Ramsay had a huge smile on his face. My eyes met his for a moment and I could feel my cheeks heat up.

"No complaints! They love everything," the last table's server said as she came into the kitchen. We were all ecstatic, and I felt myself sigh in relief. I'd run my own kitchen after being drafted into it by Chef Ramsay. I never thought I'd be saying that when the week started. I started grabbing pots and pans and moving them to the sink while the others celebrated, needing to keep my hands working. I wasn't used to celebrating much, anyway. As I was scrubbing one of the pots, I felt a gentle nudge on my shoulder and I looked over to see Chef Ramsay smiling at me as he grabbed a towel.

"You wash, I'll dry, yeah?" He said with a mischievous glint in his eye, and I nodded my head. Soon the people who were celebrating moved out into the dining area, and then silence fell when they'd all left. We finished up moments later, and placed everything back where it needed to go. "So I take it you're into a quieter atmosphere outside of work? I noticed the celebration wasn't your cup of tea."

"Well, I like celebrating, but in a slightly different way," I replied as I dried my hands. "I'm probably going to celebrate with a cup of cocoa when I get home and my favorite movie. If I can stay awake long enough to watch it, that is."

"I know the feeling. Say, I know I'm from out of town, but I found a wonderful little coffee shop just down the street that serves the best cocoa I've ever tasted. Would you like to stop by there after we've locked up?" Gordon asked, and I felt my mouth split into a smile.

"I'd love that, and as a 'thank you' for everything you've done for us here, it is my treat," I said with a small curtsy.

"I couldn't possibly allow you to pay, my darling. You've worked so hard," he said walking closer to me as I set the towel back on the rack. He was barely six inches from me now, and I could feel my cheeks grow hot. He licked his lips and I unconsciously did the same. His eyes flitted to the bottom of my face then back to my eyes, looking almost guilty.

I put my hand out and gently touched his arm. "There's no need for you to pay, Gordon. Please, let me do this for you."

"We'll see, darling," he said with a smile and a small wink. "Now, let's turn off the lights and lock the doors, yes?"

\---

Moments later, Gordon and I were seated, sipping cocoa in a quaint little café that was open until midnight, called the "Where you bean?" I couldn't help but smile at the pun. The man was absolutely hilarious, and his wit was razor sharp. I felt proud about the times I was actually able to make him laugh, and when our cups had been fully emptied, I stealthily paid the tab.

"Well, I think they're about to close up, darling. Are you ready to head out?" He asked and I said yes. He caught the attention of a waiter, but when he asked, the waiter only told him the bill had already been paid. Gordon thanked him as we both stood, and he looked at me with a smile. "You are a slippery little minx, aren't you, my darling?"

"Guilty as charged," I said as he offered me his arm and walked back out the door with me. It had gotten a bit colder since we went inside, and without a sound, he slipped his leather jacket off and draped it over my shoulders. "Thank you, but won't you be cold?"

"I'll be fine, darling. I couldn't have you catching cold," he said with a more gentle smile. We approached the restaurant where both our cars were parked, and Gordon drew to a stop near mine. I turned to face him, and I felt oddly like this had been a date. But it couldn't be, could it? I mean, wasn't he supposed to be going home soon? I felt his large hands take hold of mine, and I looked up at him. "I must say, darling, that over the last few days, I've come to enjoy many things about this small town. My favorite is you. I was planning on going back home tonight, but I can extend my stay a couple more days...if you'd like to see me again, that is. I...suppose what I'm trying to ask is this: (Y/n), darling, would you allow me to take you out on a proper date? I'd very much like to get to know you better."

I smiled and nodded my head. "Yes, Chef. I'd very much like that."

Gordon stepped a tiny bit closer and cupped my cheek. He smiled and his voice came out husky. "Call me Gordon, darling," he said before closing the gap between us and kissing my lips gently. My eyelids fluttered shut, and my mind went completely blank. Almost as quickly as it began, the kiss ended, and Gordon was pulling me in for a warm hug.

"I had a very good time tonight, darling. I look forward to our date. Shall we say tomorrow evening?" He asked with a smile.

"Sure. I know Mike likes to close Sundays, after all, so that should be perfect. Would half past seven work?"

"Lovely, darling. I'll pick you up at half past seven, then," he said before kissing my cheek. I removed his leather jacket and handed it to him. "Thank you, (y/n). Have a safe drive home and a lovely night."

"You too, Gordon," I said and he smiled before walking back to his car. As I got into my own vehicle, my own mind was spiraling around two thoughts. The first was that I was the head chef of a restaurant. The second was that Chef Ramsay liked me enough to ask me on a date. This was turning out to be the oddest week I'd ever had in my life.


	4. Stumbling Along

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of a text message from my phone. Damn, why did I have to keep it right next to me while I slept? I blearily forced my eyes to open, and I looked at the message.

"Good morning, darling. I hope you slept well. I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed last night and that I'm looking forward to this evening. I'll see you at 7:30."

I smiled so widely when I read it, and I cuddled back under my covers, smiling. I tried to think of how to perfectly word a message in response and finally came up with something half-decent:

"Good morning, Gordon. I did sleep well, thank you, I hope you did too. I also enjoyed last night, and I know tonight will be just as good. I look forward to seeing you later!"

I sent the message and took a deep breath. I hoped I hadn't sounded desperate or ridiculous. _No. No, I refuse to let doubt enter my brain_ , I thought as I stood and started getting dressed for my morning. I heard Kesh meow from the armchair in the corner of the room and I went over to her, stroking her fur gently. "Well, hello there, princess. Did you sleep okay?"

Kesh gave a squeaky meow, mixed with a purr, and I giggled. "That's what I thought, silly. Let's go get you some food," I said and she shot to the kitchen like a rocket. Yep, that always did the trick. I followed her in and gave her some of her food, then I poured myself some coffee.

I looked up to the heavens as a silent thanks to the Powers That Be for inventing coffee so that I may be awakened each and every morning. Just as I was sitting on my sofa with my cup, I heard a knock at the door. "They couldn't have at least let me have one sip?" I asked myself quietly as I set my cup down and went to the door, opening it cautiously. There stood a delivery man with a bouquet of spring flowers.

"Hello, ma'am. Are you (y/n)?" He asked and I said a quick yes. "Ah, good. This is the right address, then. Ma'am, I have a delivery for you. The sender wished to remain anonymous. If I could just have your signature?"

He held out a clipboard with a pen, and I signed quickly. "Of course, thank you. You didn't happen to see what he looked like, did you?" I asked curiously as he passed me the bouquet. If these were from Gordon, then he had wonderful taste.

"Yes I did. All I'll say is he had thick, black hair," the man said and I felt myself freeze.

"Black hair?" I asked sounding like a broken record, and the man nodded his head.

"Yes ma'am. Oh, forgive me. I need to be on my way to deliver other bouquets. Have a lovely day, ma'am," he said before walking away. I walked back into my apartment and nudged the door shut. Black hair? I didn't know any guys with black hair. Surely the delivery man must have been mistaken. I shrugged it off and set the flowers on the counter. Either way, they were beautiful. I went back to my coffee and sniffed its heavenly aroma. "Perfect," I breathed and as I went to take a sip, my phone chimed with a message. I froze with the cup halfway to my lips. _No. Whoever it is can wait five seconds while I have some coffee_ , I thought and I starting bringing my cup to my mouth again. Right as the ceramic touched my lips, my phone let out a shrill ring. I was so startled that I spilled a bit of coffee down my shirt. I gasped at the heat and set the cup aside. I quickly picked up my cell phone, answering like nothing was wrong.

"Hello?" I said, and I heard a very female voice on the other end.

"How could you hide that Gordon Ramsay is in the town where you live? I'm your only sister, and I have a right to know when you're making out with hot chefs!" My sister said, and I raised n eyebrow that I knew she couldn't see.

"Woah, woah, hold on. I haven't made out with anyone. Also I was contractually obligated to not say anything-" I said but she cut me off.

"'Contractually obligated'? Wait, are you on one of his shows?" She asked and I answered simply by not speaking. "Oh my God, you are! Oh please don't tell me it's your restaurant. I've eaten there."

I winced, and I knew I was letting out information just by being silent, but I couldn't say anything till the previews aired at the end of the episode before ours. Kelly was silent too. 

"Oh God...Well, just tell me this, is he finished with the place or does it need to be made over still?" She asked, and I sighed.

"It's finished," I said quietly.

"Wait, he's not gone yet, is he?" Kelly sounded horrified at the idea of it.

"No...No, not yet. I know he'll have to leave soon, but it's not tonight, I know that for sure," I said not thinking about what I was saying.

"Wait, how do you know he's not leaving? Do you two talk? Like...outside of the work for the show?" I knew her eyes would be bigger than saucers at this point and I couldn't help but giggle at the thought. "You've so been holding out on me! You better spill right the hell now, or I swear I will fly over there, duct tape both him and you to chairs, and make you two tell me what happened so far."

"Easy, tiger. You'll have all the details, but let's just say I have an interesting and slightly terrifying night before me," I said wishing I could find some way to chicken out, but unable to think of any that weren't feeble.


End file.
